Cartridge-feed mechanism for breech-loading firearms



c. w. LAN-G.

CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM FOR BREECH LOADING FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-16,1917.

1,359,607, Patented Nov. 23, 192D.

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CHARLES W. LANG, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CARTRIDGE-FEED MECHANISM FOR BREECH-LOADING FIREARMS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. LANG, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge-Feed Mechanismfor Breech-Loading Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention hasfor its object to provide means that will operateautomatically by the opening of the breech closure of a firearm to seizea cartridge presented to the receiver above the breech closure, pressthe cartridge downward into position in front of the breech block thatwill insure the introduction of the cartridge into the chamber of thegun as the breech block closes, and re-' turn to position for receivinga succeeding cartridge when the breech is closed.

In carrying out the invention, the opening of the receiver is taperedrearwardly, so that while its front portion is of transverse dimensionsufficient to freely pass a cartridge to a position in line with thebore, its rearward portion forms a cradle that receives and supports thecartridge case in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position, with thelower edge of the butt end slightly intersecting the path of the breechbolt, and with the point of the cartridge directed well toward thechamber of the gun; and coacting with this cradle or support, is agripping foot, which is opened up to receive the cartridge whenever thebreech bolt is closed, but presses upon the cartridge and holds it toits position in the cradle Whenever the breech being paralle to theinclined axis of the cartridge, so that it firmly grips the cartridge inits position pointed toward the chamber of the gun. The presser foot ispreferably pivoted and develops its gripping efi'ect under the reactionof a spring, the breech bolt acting upon it as a cam to open it inopposition to its spring when the breech bolt closes, and receding fromits control so as to leave it free to act under its spring whenever thebreech bolt opens.

The invention will be fullyunderstood upon reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the receiverof a breech loading firearm embodying the present invention; the sectionbeing firearm. The throat 3 Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d N23 192 o n Application filed January 16, 1917. Serial No. 142,740.

tal ren through the presser foot, and the parts being in the positionsassumed when the breech bolt is open;

Fig. 2 IS a view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1, but withthe parts in the positions assumed when the breech bolt is closed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the receiver and a cartridge in therelation thereto shown in Figs. land 3; and

Fig. 5 isa perspective view of a breech bolt.

, 1 represents the receiver, 2 the breech bolt, and 3 the feed throat ofa breech-loading is provided with a rearwardly tapering portion 3,proportioned so that it admits nearly the major diameter of a cartridgecase A, near the .forward end of the latter, but admits only a minordiame ter or chord of the case at its rear end, with the result that thecartridge lies in the tapered portion 3 of the throat in a downwardlyand forwardly inclinedposition, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3,whenever the breech bolt is drawn rearwardly from beneath the cartridge.In other words, the rear tapered portion 3 ofthe receiver throat forms acradle for the cartridge that presents its forward end safely toward thebore of the gun and dips its rear end slightly within the path of thebreech bolt, so that when the breech bolt closes, the cartridge will beprojected with certainty into the chamber of the gun.

In rapid fire guns where cartridges are fed in rapid succession to theposition shown in Fig. 2 and must as rapidly assume the position shownin Fig. 3 each time the breech bolt opens, malfunctioning of the gunsometimes results from the rebounding or hanging of the cartridge, orthe failure of its fonward end to assume proper depression. To avoidthis disadvantage, thepresent invention provides a presser foot 5 thatis so controlled by the breech closure 2 as to assume the open orreceptive position shown in Fig. 2, when the breech bolt is closed andthe depressed orgripping position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, whenever thebreech bolt is open. The presser face of the foot 5 is inclined parallelto the position assumed by the cartridge in its cradle 3, so that thecartridge is forced to and retained in the position shown by the closingbreech bolt and delivered into the chamber of the un. Pressure of thefoot 5 is preferably deve oped by a spri '6 which is overcome by'a camface 7 on t e breech bolt 2, acting upon the heel 8 of the presser foot,when the breech bolt closes, in order to open the presser foot, or whichis left free to depress the foot whenever the breech bolt is open. Thecam face 7 preferably extends through a considerable proportion of thelength of the breech bolt, so that movement of the presser foot is quitegradual, and work to be performed in operating it is well distributed.

The invention is obviously of advantage however the cartridge beintroduced into the gun, but is ofgreatest advantage when cartridges arefed from a magazine mrapid succession, assuggested Fig. 1, andwhenassociated with a magazine, the presser foot may act to hold back asucceeding cartrid e until the cartridge being introduced is we 1 out ofthe way, so that the succeeding cartridge will not be tilted orpermitted to ap proach its position over the throat of the" other, toany objectionable degree.

I claim closure, an inclined cartridge seat coacting therewith, meansfor feeding a cartridge on to said seat, and a presserfoot adapted. tohold the cartridge against said seat until the cartridge is welladvanced into thechamber. 2. In a structure such as is set forth inclaim 1, means tending to move the presser foot into active position,and counteractin means travelin with the breech closure and permittlngsai presser foot to move into active position as the breech opens.

A structure suchas is set forth in claim 2, in which the presser foot ispivoted at one side of the cartridge seat withmdvement transverse to thecartridge feed.

4. A structure such as is set-forth in claim 3, in which a heel on the.presser foot coacts with a longitudinal cam face on the brerelchclosure. I

' e oregoing specification signed at Newark, New Jersey, this 9th dayof-J'anu- M 1917. Y a i CHAS. w. LANG.

1. In a breech loading fire arm, abreech

